'It was a tricky wicket': Skipper Mitchell Santner rues New Zealand's missed opportunity against India
toi
newspoint|07-11-2026
NEW DELHI: New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner admitted that batting was difficult during the second ODI against India, praising both teams' bowlers for making the most of the challenging conditions.
India secured a four-wicket victory through the DLS method after rain interrupted the match, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Unlike the previous ODI, where India comfortably chased down the target of 143 runs with Virat Kohli scoring a brilliant 74, the second match saw both batting line-ups struggle.
New Zealand were bowled out for just 134 runs, while India's chase also became difficult as the visiting bowlers kept picking up wickets.
Speaking after the match, Santner explained that the pitch offered plenty of assistance to fast bowlers and felt his team could have managed a better total despite the difficult conditions.
"It was one of those wickets where the seamers looked pretty challenging on. I know Axar bowled quite nicely, but the Indian quicks were in and around it as well, and they all bowled pretty well. [Lessons from the match] As a batting unit, we know it was going to be a tricky surface. But even if there was a potential way of scraping to 160 or 180, we could have gone from there. But yeah, I think they bowled well as well, and obviously, with the weather around, it is always going to be a bit tough to start, and they exploited it very well."
Santner praises bowlers from both sides
The New Zealand skipper also appreciated his team's bowling effort, particularly the way they continued taking wickets and prevented India from getting an easy win. Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson picked up three wickets each, putting the hosts under considerable pressure during the chase.
Santner said his bowlers understood that taking early wickets was important and did a good job of keeping India on the back foot.
"It was a tricky wicket. There is no hiding it. I think they (India) bowled really well, especially at the top, challenged us, and obviously, wickets at the start are never ideal. But I think we were still probably a little bit under at the halfway stage, knowing that there was still a little bit in it, which was nice. And the boys bowled really well," he remarked.
Speaking about the bowling performance, he added, "Like we said at Eden Park, it would have been easy for us to just go out there and expect things to happen. But we bowled really well. We started well, and I guess the only way to get into that target was to take wickets at the top. We managed to do that, and then I think the guys coming back in, spell after spell, managed to get the breakthroughs throughout, which is key in ODI cricket."
India's Gurnoor Brar was the standout bowler, finishing with figures of 4/30. Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj also claimed two wickets each as New Zealand were dismissed for 134 in 41 overs. Daryl Mitchell top-scored with 55, while Santner contributed 31.
Santner provides update on Blair Tickner
During the match, New Zealand pacer Blair Tickner suffered a blow to his helmet while batting and was replaced by Matthew Fisher as a concussion substitute. Santner provided an update on his teammate, saying the team was waiting to see how he recovered.
"He is back at the hotel, so hopefully he pulls up okay. But yeah, he has had a concussion recently, so it is one of those ones you want to give it some time."
In reply, India were reduced to 47/4 after early dismissals of Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Shreyas Iyer scored 30, while KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 26 to keep the chase alive. India reached 113/7 before rain stopped play. With the DLS par score at 109, India secured a four-wicket win and strengthened their position in the series.
India secured a four-wicket victory through the DLS method after rain interrupted the match, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Unlike the previous ODI, where India comfortably chased down the target of 143 runs with Virat Kohli scoring a brilliant 74, the second match saw both batting line-ups struggle.
New Zealand were bowled out for just 134 runs, while India's chase also became difficult as the visiting bowlers kept picking up wickets.
Speaking after the match, Santner explained that the pitch offered plenty of assistance to fast bowlers and felt his team could have managed a better total despite the difficult conditions.
"It was one of those wickets where the seamers looked pretty challenging on. I know Axar bowled quite nicely, but the Indian quicks were in and around it as well, and they all bowled pretty well. [Lessons from the match] As a batting unit, we know it was going to be a tricky surface. But even if there was a potential way of scraping to 160 or 180, we could have gone from there. But yeah, I think they bowled well as well, and obviously, with the weather around, it is always going to be a bit tough to start, and they exploited it very well."
Santner praises bowlers from both sides
The New Zealand skipper also appreciated his team's bowling effort, particularly the way they continued taking wickets and prevented India from getting an easy win. Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson picked up three wickets each, putting the hosts under considerable pressure during the chase.
Santner said his bowlers understood that taking early wickets was important and did a good job of keeping India on the back foot.
"It was a tricky wicket. There is no hiding it. I think they (India) bowled really well, especially at the top, challenged us, and obviously, wickets at the start are never ideal. But I think we were still probably a little bit under at the halfway stage, knowing that there was still a little bit in it, which was nice. And the boys bowled really well," he remarked.
Speaking about the bowling performance, he added, "Like we said at Eden Park, it would have been easy for us to just go out there and expect things to happen. But we bowled really well. We started well, and I guess the only way to get into that target was to take wickets at the top. We managed to do that, and then I think the guys coming back in, spell after spell, managed to get the breakthroughs throughout, which is key in ODI cricket."
India's Gurnoor Brar was the standout bowler, finishing with figures of 4/30. Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj also claimed two wickets each as New Zealand were dismissed for 134 in 41 overs. Daryl Mitchell top-scored with 55, while Santner contributed 31.
Santner provides update on Blair Tickner
During the match, New Zealand pacer Blair Tickner suffered a blow to his helmet while batting and was replaced by Matthew Fisher as a concussion substitute. Santner provided an update on his teammate, saying the team was waiting to see how he recovered.
"He is back at the hotel, so hopefully he pulls up okay. But yeah, he has had a concussion recently, so it is one of those ones you want to give it some time."
In reply, India were reduced to 47/4 after early dismissals of Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Shreyas Iyer scored 30, while KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 26 to keep the chase alive. India reached 113/7 before rain stopped play. With the DLS par score at 109, India secured a four-wicket win and strengthened their position in the series.
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